Ratings news: Strasburg start scores for MLB

The Tuesday night telecast of the Pirates-Nationals game, marking the major-league debut of Washington phenom Stephen Strasburg, generated a 0.6 metered-market rating for MLB Network, the biggest audience in its brief history.

Meanwhile, ABC’s coverage of Game 3 of the Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals series generated an 11.5 overnight rating, 14 percent higher than last year (Lakers-Magic, 10.1) and the highest overnight rating for a Game 3 since 2004 (Lakers-Pistons, 12.4).

In between those ratings universes is the NHL, which is boasting its highest five-game average (4.6 million per game average between NBC and Versus) in eight years (5.1 million, ABC/ESPN, Red Wings-Hurricanes). NBC has averaged a 3.0 rating in its three Finals telecasts so far (Games 1, 2, and 5).

Pete Dougherty

8 Responses

0.6? What does that mean exactly? I know it was a widely watched event. In Washington alone it drew about 10 times what the Nationals normally get. 0.6 sounds low. I know that doesn’t include the Washington audience and I’m not sure if it includes all the people who went back and forth between that game and something else. I would be surprised if it didn’t draw as much as any of the NHL Playoff games.

@Steve: Basically, 0.6 is the percentage of TV homes that watched the MLB Network telecast. A lot of homes don’t have MLB Network, and I bet you that some people who do get it didn’t khow the game was on.

In the D.C. market, where the game was on MASN2, the game got a 7.1 rating.

I’m excited to see any ratings growth for MLB Network. They just get better and better. I’m still surprised MLB On Demand lets the MLB Network show so many games and do so many live cut ins. Maybe it’s helped MLB On Demand get more subscribers.